HR 10954: Don’t Flush Babies Act

HR 10954 in plain English: This bill would make it a federal crime to dispose of an aborted fetus through a sewer system or plumbing. Violators would face up to 5 years in prison, fines between $20,000 and $150,000, or both, per offense.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to require that abortion drug packaging display a 'Do Not Flush' warning label and a visual symbol, and to require abortion providers to supply patients with a 'catch kit' for collecting fetal remains and medical waste, which the provider must then arrange to have buried or cremated.

Key points

• Prohibits disposing of aborted fetuses through sewer systems or plumbing
• Sets criminal penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment per offense
• Imposes fines of no less than $20,000 and no more than $150,000 per offense

Arguments supporters make

• Flushing medical waste can damage plumbing and harm the environment, so clear labeling and proper disposal procedures protect public infrastructure and water quality.
• Requiring dignified disposal through burial or cremation reflects how society treats other human remains and upholds a standard of respect for fetal life.
• Standardized warning labels are a routine tool in federal product safety law, so applying them to abortion drugs is consistent with existing regulatory practice.

Arguments opponents make

• The detailed fetal imagery and burial/cremation requirements go beyond neutral safety warnings and are designed to impose emotional burden and stigma on people seeking a legal medical procedure.
• Requiring patients to collect and return remains and requiring providers to arrange burial or cremation creates logistical barriers that could effectively restrict access to medication abortion, especially for people in rural areas or without transportation.
• Mandating specific disposal of biological material from a private medical procedure at home raises serious questions about government overreach into personal medical decisions and privacy.

Tradeoffs

The bill trades convenience and privacy in a home medical procedure for a government-mandated disposal process intended to prevent improper waste handling; the tension is between reducing potential environmental harm and imposing new burdens on patients and providers of a legal medical service.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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